Pneumatic-carrier system.



00 r; 1 o m w w H 1 1 +1 4 1% I L m 1.. 1% B mm 3 na 1% w 1w N a P M 011MT F. W.1NELSON;

PNEUMATIU CARRIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1911.

11 11 111 1 1 1 11 11 11 11 11 1 11 1 1111 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 11 1 1 1111 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 111 1 1 1 1 1 1111 111111 1 1 1111111111 111 11 11 1111 1 11 v1 111 11 11 1 1 R 1 Q11+ vuv 1 v 111 1 1 11 1 1 1 111 111 1111 1111 11111 1 1 If II IIIill 11 1111 1 1 111 1111 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 11 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1111 v 1 11111 1 11 111 11 1 1 1 11 111 1 1 111 .1 1 u 1 TR 11 a 1 1 1 5 11 1 11 QMCOLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

F. W. NELSON.

PNEUMATIC CARRIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1911.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o o c o o o o o o o O COLUMD| A PLANDGRAPH C0..wAsmNu1'0N. D. c.

F. W. NELSON.

PNEUMATIC CARRIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 17,1911.

L074,890. Patented 0013.7,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q v 61111 qg'bna COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0. WASHINGTON, D. c.

FIGIE.

Arnn

FRANK W. NELsoN, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

PNEUMATIC-CARRIER SYSTEM.

imaeao.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ()ct. 7,1913.

Application filed July 17, 1911. Serial No. 638,973.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK WV. NnLsoN,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic- CarrierSystems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic carrier systems, and concernsparticularly improved construction, arrangement and operation atterminals of such systems where carrier units are received. Thesesystems usually comprise a network of tubes or passageways through whichthe carrier units are pro pelled by compression or suction force andmove at a high velocity.

Among the salient objects of my invention are to provide improved meansfor retarding the speed of units just before approaching a terminal, andto accomplish such retardation in an improved manner by closing asection of the tube or duct in advance of the carrier so that the airwithin said section will be compressed; to provide improvedpneumatically operated mechanism for controlling a gate or valve for thecompression trap; to provide improved valve mechanism for saidpneumatically controlled mechanism; to provide improved mechanism forcontrolling said valve mechanism and operated by the pressure in thecompression trap; to provide improved pneumatically controlled means forcushioning the operation of said pneumatically controlled mechanisms;and in general to provide improved terminal construct-ion in a system ofthe character referred to.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is fullyillustrated, Figure 1 is a side elevational View of terminal mechanism,parts being in section and parts broken away to more clearly illustratethe operation and construction; Fig. 2 is a View looking from theentrance end of said mechanism; Fig. 3 is a view looking from theopposite end of said mechanism; Fig. A

is a plan view with the upper part of the inclosing casings removed;Fig. 5 is a sec- 7 tional view taken substantially on plane 5-5, Fig. A;Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on plane 6-6, Fig. 4,Fig. 7 is a perspective elevational view of certain valve controllingmechanism; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of transmissionmechanism.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a carrier trunk tube 10 to which my improvedterminal mechanism is associated for receiving carriers 11 propelledthrough said trunk. 'Ihese carriers can be of any well-knownconstruction to engage snugly with the trunk tube sides so as to bepropelled by differences in pressure at the ends thereof. At theterminal end of this trunk the passageway therethrough is adapted to beclosed by a gate 12 which is secured to a shaft 13 suitably journaled inbearing uprights 1A and 15, indicated best in Fig. A, the floor of thetube being out out to leave an abutment shoulder 12 for receiving thegate when closed. In advance of this gate a suction or exhaust pipe 16communicates with the trunk tube and is connected with a suitable vacuumor suction creating device, not shown. In the arrangement as thus fardescribed, when a carrier is in the trunk line it is subjected to vacuumor suction effect before it reaches the suction pipe 16, but immediatelyafter the carrier has passed this suction pipe and the gate 12 isclosed, the suction effect will be transferred to the rear end of thecarrier, but the carrier having traveled at a high velocity will, onaccount of its momentum, continue its motion toward the gate and willcompress the air between its front end and the gate. The section 17 ofthe trunk line between the gate and the suction pipe 16 I shall refer toas a compression trap. Mounted on the tube structure is a semi-sphericaldrum shell 18 centered about shaft 18, the shaft extending beyond thesides of the drum, and the gate 12 engaging snugly at its sides and endagainst the sides and end wall of the drum. Also secured to the shaft 13and ext-ending radially therefrom is a piston disk 19 whose sides andend engage snugly against the drum sides and end, and this piston diskcontrols the movements of the gate 12, as will be described fully later.In front of the drum a rectangular shell 18 is supported on the carriertube structure and forms a continuation of the drum.

Referring to Figs. ft and 6, the shell or housing 18 is bisected by thevertical intermediatewall 20 extending fro-m the top to the bottom ofthe shell and dividing this housing into an atmosphere passageway 21 anda vacuum or suction passageway 22, the end of the suction passageway 22being connected by a pipe 23 with the vacuum or suction pipe 16, as bestindicated in Fig. l.

J ournaled the intermediate wall 20 and in the side walls of the housing18 are the transverse horizontal shafts. 24, and the axially alinedshaft sections 25 and 25. Within passageway 21 shaft 24 carries arectangular valvedisk or damper 26 (Fig. 5) and shaft section 25"carries a similar valve disk or damper 27 these valve disks being shownas at an angle of 60 degrees with each'ot-her. In passageway 21 theupper and lower walls of the housing 18 have the inward extensions 28and 29 respectively which form arcuate seats 30 and 31 respectively of60 degrees extent for the valve disk 27. In passageway 22 are similarextensions 32 and 33 forming arcuate seats 34 and 35 for the valve disk27. Adjacent the housing 18 is mounted a housing 36 having sidewalls 37and 38 and an arcuate top wall 39 centered about the valve shaft 24which extends through the housing side walls and is there Journaled insuitable bearings 40. Within this housing rigidly secured to the shaftis a piston disk 41 whose sides and end extend to the side and top wallsof the housings The outer end of this housing is open at 42 toatmosphere, while the opposite end communicates through a pipe 43 withthe carrier duct and with the compression trap between the gate 12 andsuction pipe 16, so that compression or suction in this trap will causeswing of the piston disk 41either outwardly or inwardly. Shaft-.13carrying gate 12 and the piston disk 19 has secured to each end outsideof the drum 18 a double crank lever 44 having at its ends crank pins 45and 46 (Fig. 8); Loosely mounted on each end of this shaft is a geardisk 47 whose web has two opposite arcuate slots 48 and 49 through whichpins 45 and 46 respectively extend, so that 1 there can be relativemovement between the crank levers and the gear disks to the ex tent ofsuch arcs. Each gear disk is connected by a chain or belt 50 with asprocket pinion 51 secured to the corresponding ends of the shaftsections 25 and 25 carrying the valve disks 27 and 27.

The operation can now be clearly understood. When the carrier is outsideof the compression trap there will be vacuum in this trap, and the gate12 will be closed, and the controlling piston disk 19 therefor will bedown against stop 52, as indicated by the full lines. Piston disk 41 isin position to the left against stop 53, as indicated .by full lines.Valve disk or damper 26 is in hori zontalopen position, while valve diskor damper 26 is in closed or vertical position.

Valve disk or damper 27 is in closed position, and valve disk or damper27 is T11 horizontal or open position Both atmosphere and vacuumpassageways 21 and 22 respectively are therefore closed. As the carrierrapidly approaches the Vacuum or suction pipe 16 and passes the outletof this pipe the rear end thereof will be subjected to suction efiect,but owing to the great in ertia of the carrier the air in advancethereof and between the gate 12 will be put under compression. Pistondisk 41 being now relieved of suction will, by force ofthis compression,be thrown forwardly 90 'degrees against stop 54, thus rotating shaft 24ninety degrees to carry valve disk 26 to ver tical or closed positionand to'carry valve disk 26 to horizontal or open position. Atmospherepassageway 21 then still remains closed, but suction passageway 22 isopen and in communication with suction pipe 16 through pipe 23, and thissuction effect is transmitted to chamber 55, and the piston disk 19 isswung forwardly to carry gate 12 upwardly, and if valves 27 and 27 werenot present the piston disk would swing imv mediately against its frontstop 56 to, carry 7 gate 12 to its uppermost position against stop 57.Then as soon as the carrier passed throughthe. gate and cleared thelower outlet of pipe 43 there would again be vacuum effect in thecompression trap and in housing 36, and piston disk 41 would be swungback to normal position against stop 53,

thus restoring valves 26 and 26 to normal position to re-open theatmosphere passageway and to re-close the suction passageway. Also, assoon as the carrier passes gate 12 vacuum effect will be present behindthe piston disk 19, and the chamber 55 being open to atmosphere throughthe re-opened atmosphere passageway 21, the piston disk will swing'backto normal position against stop 52, and gate 12 will be re-closed andnormal conditions reestablished. However, valves 27 and 27 and the lostmotion connection between the shafts13 and 25 and 25 are provided'tocushion the movements of the piston disk 19 and the gate 12 againsttheir stops. v The arcuate extension of the slots 48 and 49 isapproximately sixty-four degrees, so that piston disk 19 may freelyswing forwardly about sixty-four degrees before movement is communicatedthrough the. chains from shaft 13 to valve shafts 25 and 25. The gearingratio between these shafts is such that when the piston disk, 19 movesforwardly fart-her about twenty and onehalf degrees, valve disk 27 inthesuction. passageway 22 will rotate clockwise about sixty degrees intoengagement with the op-' posite ends of the arcuate seats 34 and 35,thus closing chamber 55 and thus cushioning further movement of thevalve disk 19.

During this twenty and one-half degree movement of the valve disk 19valve 27' rotated clockwise about sixty degrees, but after such movementthe valve disk will still be in engagement with its valve seats to keepthe atmosphere passageway closed. During the final twenty and one-halfdegrees movement of the piston disk 19 the valve disk 27 rotatesclockwise sixty degrees to the other ends of its valve seats to keep thechamber 55 closed, so that during the final twenty and one-half degreesthe piston disk 19 must more or less compress the air in chamber 55, sothe seating of this valve disk against its stop 56 is cushioned. Duringthis final twenty and one-half degrees movement of the piston disk valvedisk 27 rotates another sixty degrees and into horizontal or openposition to open the atmosphere passageway 21 to atmosphere. All theabove movements took place while the carrier was traveling through thecompression trap and before the carrier cleared the pipe 43. As beforestated, when the carrier passes through the now open gateway and exposesand clears pipe 43, we will again have vacuum back of piston disk 41,and this disk will be restored to its normal position to rotate valves26 and 26 back to normal into open and closed positions respectively.The vacuum passageway is now closed, but the atmosphere passageway isopen to chamber 55, so that the suction effect now behind the pistondisk 19 will swing this piston disk in counterclockwise direction tocause swinging of the gate toward closing position. During the firstsixty-four degrees the piston disk can swing freely on accountof the pinand slot connection, and during such movement the valves 27 and 27 willnot be affected. During the next twenty and one-half degrees movement ofthe piston disk 19, valve 27 will rotate counterclockwise sixty degreesinto engagement with the ends of its seats and to close the atmospherepassageway and chamber 55, so that further movement of the piston disk19 will be retarded. During such twenty and one-half degrees movement ofthe piston disk 19 valve 27 will rotate counterclockwise sixty degreesto the other ends of its seats to still keep the atmosphere passagewayclosed. In the final twenty and one-half degrees movement of the pistondisk 19 valve 27 will rotate sixty degrees to the other ends of itsseats, and during such movement the piston disk is creating vacuumeffect in chambers 55 and 21 and is retarded and its engagement with itsnormal seat cushioned. During this final twenty and one-half degreesmovement valve disk 27 will rotate sixty degrees back to its horizontalnormal position. The gate 12 is now again closed and normal conditionsprevail.

The length of the compression trap is suflicient so that during thepassage of the carrier therethrough the piston disk 19 will have ampletime to control the valves and to fully open the gate. Immediately afterthe car clears pipe 43 the piston disk 19 will be actuated to re-closethe valve, and when the car travels toward the left in duct section 61toward its receiving apparatus,

the section 61 between the gate and the rear end of the carrier will beclosed and there will be suction effect therein caused by the leavingcarrier, and this suction effect also further retards the carrier sothat all its energy will practically be spent when it reaches itsreceiving mechanism. Such suction effect in the section 61 acting ongate 12 acts in opposition to the suction effect in the main duct.However, this suction effect in section 61 is also effective on the rearside of the piston disk 19, and this piston disk 19 having the same areaor perhaps greater area than the gate, this suction effect on the gateby the leaving carrier is fully neutralized and the gate remains closed.

In order to hold the piston disks and valves in any position to whichthey have been moved I provide springs 58 for press ing against shaft18, springs 59 for pressing against shaft ea, and springs 60 and 60 forpressing against shafts 25 and 25, these springs in no way retarding themovements of the various disks and valves but serving to hold the valvesin the position to which they have been moved at any time.

I thus provide very simple and eflicient terminal construction andoperation for pneumatic carrier systems. The various valves andcontrolling pistons therefor are actuated entirely by air pressureconditions. Such actuation thereof is rapid and exact, and at the sametime air pressures are adjusted to soften and cushion the seating of thevalve disks so that the apparatus is noiseless and the various valvedisks and valves protected.

I do not of course desire to be limited to the precise construction andoperation described, as changes are possible which would still comewithin the scope of the invention, and I therefore claim the following:

1. In a vacuum pressure system, the combination of a duct, means fornormally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmosphericpressure whereby carriers will be propelled in said duct, a gate adaptedfor opening and closing said duct, a piston chamber adapted forconnection with atmosphere and with said duct, a piston within saidpiston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closingthereof, said gate being normally closed whereby air will be compressedbetween said gate and the carrier approaching said gate, valve mechanismnormally closing the connection between said piston chamber and duct,and means controlled by the compressed air between said carrier and gatefor causing actuation of said valve mechanism to connect said pistonchamber with the duct whereby said piston is operated by the re ducedpressure to cause opening or" said gate to allow the carrier to pass.

2. In a vacuum pressure system, the com-' bination of a duct, means fornormally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmosphericpressure whereby carriers will be propelled in said duct, a gate adaptedfor opening and closing said duct, a piston chamber adapted forconnection 1 with atmosphere and with said duct, a piston within saidpiston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closingthereof, said gate being normally closed whereby air will be compressedbetween said gate and the carrier approaching said gate, valve mechanismnormally closing the connection between said piston chamber and duct,means controlled by the compressed air between said carrier and gate forcausing actuation oi said valve mechanism to connect said piston chamberwith the duct whereby said piston is operated by the reduced pressure tocause opening of said gate to allow the carrier to pass, and additionalvalve mechanism controlled'by the movements of said piston forcausingclosure of said connection bet-ween the duct and piston chamberafter an initial movement of said piston whereby further movement ofsaid piston will be retarded.

3. In a vacuum pressure system, the combination of a duct,means forreducing the pressure within said duct whereby carriers will bepropelled therethrough, gate mechanism for normally closing one end ofsaid duct whereby the. air between said gate and an approaching carrierwill be compressed I n actuating mechanism responslve to such compressedair, a piston chamber having an at- I final movement of said piston isretarded.

4. In a pneumatic carrier system, the combination of a carrier ductthrough which carriers pass, a gate at the end of said duct, a suctionconnection with said duct in advance of said gate, the section of saidduct between said gate and suction connection being normally subjectedto suction eifect but the air in said section being compressed uponentrance therein of the carrier, a housing open to atmosphere at one endand connected at its other end with said duct section in which the airis compressed by the moving carrier, a piston disk within said housing,a semi-cylindrical drum, a piston disk within said drum connected withsaid gate, a valve housing extension from said drum, a partitiondividing said valve housing into a vacu um passageway and an atmospherepassageway, a pipe connecting said vacuum passageway with said suctionconnection with the main duct, a valve in said atmosphere passageway anda valve in said suction passageway, said valves being operativelyconnected with the first mentioned piston disk, said first mentionedpiston disk being normally in position to cause opening of the valve inthe atmosphere compartment and closure of the valve in the suctioncompartment, compression in said first mentioned piston disk housingupon passage of the carrier through the duct section between the gateand suction connection causing move ment of the piston disk toward theatmosphere passagewayand closure of the valve in the atmospherepassageway and openingof the valve in the suction passageway whereby thesecond mentioned piston disk is subjected to suction efiect to causeopening of said gate to allow the carrier'to pass.

5. In a vacuum pressure system, the combination of a duct, means fornormally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmosphericpressure whereby carrierswill be propelled in said duct, agate adaptedfor opening and closing said duct, a piston chamber adapted forconnection with atmosphere and with said duct, a pistonwithin saidpiston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closingthereof, said gate being normally closed whereby air will be compressedbetween said gate and the car rier approaching said gate, valvemechanism normally closing the connection between said piston chamberand duct, means controlled by the compressed air between said carrierand gate for causing actuation of said valve mechanism to connect saidpiston chamber with the duct whereby said piston is operated by thereduced pressure to cause opening of said gate to allow the carrier topass, and means controlled by the piston during the latter part of itsmovement to effect closure of said connection between the duct andpiston chamberwhereby further movement of said piston will be retarded.

6. In a vacuum pressure system, the'combination of a duct, means fornormally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmosphericpressure whereby carriers will be propelled in said duct, agate adaptedfor opening and closing said duct, a

piston chamber adapted for connectionwith atmosphere and with saidduct,-a piston within said piston chamber connected with said gate tocontrol opening and closing thereof, said gate being normlly closedwhereby air will be compressed between said gate and the carrierapproaching said gate, valve mechanism normally closing the connectionbetween said piston chamber and duct, means for actuating said valvemechanism controlled by the suction within said duct and by thecompressed air between said carrier and gate, said means beingcontrolled by said compressed air to cause actuation of said valvemechanism to connect said piston chamber with the duct whereby saidpiston is operated by the reduced pressure to cause opening of said gateto allow the carrier to pass, said means being controlled by the suctionwithin the duct after passage of the car rier to cause actuation of thevalve mechanism to connect said duct with atmosphere whereby said pistonis restored to normal position, and valve mechanism in said ductcontrolled by the movements of the piston to close said duct afterprimary movement of said piston in either direction whereby furthermovement of said piston will be retarded.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of July,A. D., 1911.

FRANK WV. NELSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, NELLIE B. DEARBORN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

